I just stuck a piece of shrimp wrapped in some pantyhose in my new tank. It's floating at the surface. Is this okay or should I weight it down to the gravel somehow?

Does the tank need to be fully decorated from the beginning? All I have is the gravel & filter. I'm prepping the driftwood, and it'll be put in within the next few days. I will buy plants this week for the tank. Is it okay to add these things during the cycling procedure or should I have them from the start (which is already too late since I started it today.)

It doesn't matter what deco you have to start out with, when I was cycling my first tank all I had was the gravel and filter, I never did the shrimp thing though since i'm a vegetarian haha but good luck I don't know if you already know this but a quicker way to speed the cycle is use some gravel from an already estabilished tank along with filter media and deco. I did this with my third tank and it took a week

I don't know if you already know this but a quicker way to speed the cycle is use some gravel from an already estabilished tank along with filter media and deco. I did this with my third tank and it took a week

I wish I had a friend with an established tank. Alas, I must do it the slow way.

If possible, go to a LFS and ask them to test their waters for you. If their tanks are cycled, you could ask for them to put some of their gravel in a bag of water or for a piece of their filter media. If they're nice and let you have it, that'll work too :)

If possible, go to a LFS and ask them to test their waters for you. If their tanks are cycled, you could ask for them to put some of their gravel in a bag of water or for a piece of their filter media. If they're nice and let you have it, that'll work too :)

What specifically would I want them to test their water for?

Wouldn't most LFS tanks be cycled?

If they give me a piece of filter media, what do I do with it? Just stick in the tank or the filter?

You would want to just double check to make sure their tanks are cycled. :)

You would probably want to put filter media in your filter, seeing as that is where the bacteria seems to grow the most.

I used a good handful from my dad's pond/tank/ thing and that helped a good bit, so definately a handful, though filter media is probably going to hold the most ammount of good bacteria to help jump start your cycle